Justin Timberlake’s dramatic countdown is over. If you had money on “I be on my suit and tie shit†being the first words JT would sing on a solo track in more than six years, you just hit the jackpot. “Suit & Tie,†off the now officially announced third album The 20/20 Experience, starts with 45 seconds of slow groove before dipping into an atmospheric, horn-padded Timbaland beat that’ll set necks swiveling and bodies moving this week and long beyond. Timberlake’s still singing about sex and dancing, and doing it all in such a falsetto. Jay-Z pops up halfway through, gets his own beat and delivers some characteristically laid-back Hova-flow concluding with a bit about Beyoncé’s parents (“they ain’t lose a daughter, got a sonâ€). JT falsettos the hook again and suddenly you’re whistling along.
Along with “Suit & Tie,†JT left a note about The 20/20 Experience. “As you probably have heard through the ‘grapevine,’ I’m gearing up for a big 2013,†he writes. “Back in June of last year, I quietly started working on what is now, my next journey with that thing I love called MUSIC. The inspiration for this really came out of the blue and to be honest, I didn’t expect anything out of it. I just went into the studio and started playing around with some sounds and songs. It was probably the best time I’ve had in my career … Just creating with no rules and/or end goal in mind and really enjoying the process. What I came up with is something I couldn’t be more excited about! It is full of inspiration that I grew up listening to and some newfound muses that I’ve discovered along the way.†And yes, it’s coming out this year.